The present invention generally relates to a transport apparatus for moving a person, such as a patient, from one location to another location, for example from a bed to a wheelchair.
When a caregiver assists an immobile person move or transfer, for example, from a bed to a wheel chair, whether the lack of mobility is due to illness or a disability, the caregiver is exposed to strain and stress that could potentially harm the caregiver. In an effort to reduce the strain and stress on caregivers, numerous devices have been developed that reduce the force need to move the patient across the surface on which the person is supported and typically are designed to move a person when in a supine position. But most of these devices have fallen short of reducing the strain and stress when moving a person when they are to be moved from a supine position on one surface to a sitting position on another surface or moved from a sitting position on one surface to a sitting position on another surface.
Further, most of these devices are designed to assist a caregiver and do not enable the person to become more mobile themselves, and hence force reliance on a caregiver.